


Winter Blossom

by Laylah



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Dancing, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22341868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah
Summary: "You look lovely," Katalina says instead of hello. "A sophisticated young lady."Lyria means to return the compliment but what comes out of her mouth is, "Will you dance with me?"
Relationships: Katalina Alize/Lyria
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12
Collections: Return to the Iron Triangle - January 2020





	Winter Blossom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Welsper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Welsper/gifts).



The Feendrache winter ball is such a fancy event, one of the grandest that Lyria's ever seen. The ballroom in the palace is lit up with rich golden light, and there are musicians playing beautiful, sweeping melodies that have everyone excited to dance. Lyria has a new gown for the ball, one that Chloe helped her pick out, with silvery embroidery and pearls along the hem of sweeping, clear-sky blue skirts. Ladiva put up her hair in a crown of braids and showed her how just a tiny bit of makeup could make her eyes look extra vivid to match the satin of the gown. She looks—well, she looks more sophisticated than she feels, but it's exciting all the same.

Everyone else is filtering in slowly, mingling with the people of Feendrache, and Lyria tries not to be impatient as she waits for the one she's most excited to see. Eugen, cleaned up in a surprisingly nice suit, invites her for a dance, which is nice of him, since she didn't get a chance to learn the steps before. He laughs a little when she steps on his feet but promises she doesn't need to worry about it. "Better you get some practice with an old man you don't need to impress, right?" he says with that self-deprecating grin of his. It's sweet of him, really.

By the time that dance finishes, Lyria is starting to think she knows what she's doing. When Lancelot asks her to dance next, she manages to not step on his feet at all, and when Cordelia asks her after that—looking quite dashing, in a fancy coat with buttons all up the front, and hands coaxing her through the steps so elegantly—she starts to think she's actually getting the hang of this. It makes her feel special, magical in a way that's completely different from communing with primal beasts. Now if she could just find—

_Katalina_ , oh. She's dressed up for the ball too, of course, and if Cordelia looked handsome, well, Katalina makes Lyria's heart skip a beat. She's wearing—well, it's a little like her usual armor, but fitted and somehow _elegant_ in a way that draws attention to how graceful she is, and there's a red-and-gold sash across her chest to show she's a defender of the kingdom. She looks so noble and lovely, the kind of knight who rescues princesses and champions justice, which of course she _is_ , and Lyria can't look away, and—

And Katalina is staring at her, too, their eyes locked across the ballroom and everyone distant and even the music fading just a little, like nothing else matters this much. Lyria takes a step forward like there's a string behind her ribs, tugging her toward Katalina, and that breaks the spell, but only a moment later Katalina is slipping through the crowd to reach her.

"You look lovely," Katalina says instead of hello. "A sophisticated young lady."

Lyria means to return the compliment but what comes out of her mouth is, "Will you dance with me?"

Katalina's smile makes her feel warm all through. "I'd love to." She bows gracefully and offers Lyria her hand, and stepping into her arms is like walking on air.

And then it's _not_ like walking on air, because instead it's all these solid, real feelings: her own hand on Katalina's shoulder, and Katalina's hand curving around her waist, and the sway of the dance steps between them, and the sweet scent of orange blossoms. She could stretch up just a little and be able to kiss Katalina's cheek. She could do that. She wants to do that.

They drift closer as they dance, closing the space between them until it's so little that Lyria would swear she can feel Katalina's body almost-but-not-quite touching hers. Dancing measured steps around the room with everyone else was fun. With Katalina it's still fun but it's also driving her crazy, when being this close just makes her realize how much she wants more.

After the first dance they don't even have to ask, just continue for another. Katalina looks at her like she's precious, and Lyria wants this to never end. She wants Katalina to hold her always. She wants... things she's pretty sure she shouldn't even think about in the middle of a royal ball.

At the end of the second dance Katalina leads the way out onto the terrace, with Lyria holding her arm like a proper lady. They can still hear the music out here, just softer, and there are lanterns hung on lines above, giving the terrace a gentle light. Beyond that, there's the formal garden, with carefully trimmed hedges and all the flowers asleep right now for the winter. A few other couples—people, a few other people—are standing around the edges of the terrace enjoying their drinks and talking.

"I'm sorry," Katalina says as they stroll toward an unoccupied spot. "I know you were having fun in there."

Lyria shakes her head. "It's fine." She means it; she's still holding onto Katalina and that's wonderful. "Is something wrong?"

"No!" Katalina says instantly. "Or, that is, it's nothing serious. I just felt a little overwhelmed, for a moment."

"Would you like to take a walk through the garden?" Lyria suggests. "Maybe the fresh air will help."

Katalina frowns. "Won't you be cold?"

"You'll keep me warm," Lyria says.

"Oh—I—ah, yes," Katalina says, looking flustered, and then she takes off her cloak and wraps it around Lyria's shoulders. "How's that?"

It's warm from her body and it smells like orange blossoms. Lyria clutches it tight around herself with one hand. "It's perfect."

They slip into the garden together and when Lyria takes Katalina's arm again, Katalina doesn't stop her. It's easy to match their steps, a comfortable pace as they wind their way through the garden paths. Their breath makes tiny puffs of dragon steam in the air.

"You were right," Katalina says after a few minutes, as they pause to admire the twinkle of stars reflected in a pond. "This helps. For a minute, in there, I wanted to—I thought...." She trails off, looking into Lyria's eyes, and the longing in her face is the most wonderful thing Lyria has seen in the whole time she's been traveling.

"Me too," Lyria says breathlessly. "I want, too." She puts a hand on Katalina's shoulder like they're still dancing, goes up on tip toes, and presses their lips together.

Katalina breathes in sharply and for a moment doesn't move, and Lyria's heart is pounding—but then Katalina's arms wrap around her, pulling her close, and she's kissing back.

It's every bit as good as people say. It's better. Katalina's lips are so soft and her arms are so strong, and Lyria feels like her heart is flying. She twines both arms around Katalina's neck, arching up into her, trusting in Katalina to keep her steady. The chill of the winter night doesn't matter when she has her brave, beautiful knight to hold her, to make sweet, soft sounds against her mouth that send little thrills of warmth down her spine.

When she pulls back, her calves aching from holding her up on her toes for so long, Katalina smiles down at her, bringing one hand up to cup her cheek like she's something delicate and precious. "Lyria," she says.

"You gave me the world," Lyria says. "And it's so much more beautiful because you're there to show it to me."

For a second it looks like Katalina might cry. "I'm so glad," she says. "In a way, you gave me the world, too. And there's still so much more of it for us to see."

"Together," Lyria says.

"Together," Katalina promises. She leans down for their second kiss and in the distance the music swells and Lyria's heart feels so very, very warm.


End file.
